The use of portable electronic devices, and in particular Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), has increased dramatically over the past few years. These devices are used not only for business purposes, but also for personal use. Further, businesses today are more frequently using PDAs to store confidential and sensitive information (e.g., client information).
PDAs are very portable, thereby providing convenience and flexibility, a well as the ability to have access to information (e.g., business information) while in-transit. However, the qualities that make PDAs very attractive, a so make them especially vulnerable to loss and theft. PDAs are easy target for thieves and are often misplaced or lost. Further, publicly available free programs or “hacks” allow for the bypass of the default security systems on PDAs (e.g., the Palm OS® security system). Thus, because of the increased use of PDAs, and in particular, for storing confidential and sensitive information, PDA security and protection of information stored therein is a serious concern. The actual cost of hardware replacement is negligible compared to the potential liability for compromised sensitive data.
Unauthorized access to confidential information such as, for example, passwords, credit card numbers, customer lists and client information can have serious consequences. It is critical that PDAs are secured from security breaches. However, standard security on PDAs (e.g., the Palm OS® security system with password protection) is often very limited and generally does not provide the protection needed for sensitive data stored within these devices. Thus, there exists a need to provide an improved security system for protecting portable electronic devices, such as PDAs, and in particular, for protecting the sensitive data within these devices. It is desirable for such a system to not only protect the data within the device by limiting access thereto, but to provide mechanisms to ensure that the sensitive data is not compromised in the event that unauthorized access is attempted.